Charles A. Vacchiano, PhD, CRNA, FAAN

Dr. Vacchiano joined the faculty at the School of Nursing in 2008. He earned a BSN at Wright State University (OH) in 1979, a Bachelor of Science in Anesthesia from George Washington University in 1984, and a PhD in Physiology from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1995. He spent 26 years in the U.S. Navy as a practicing nurse anesthetist, educator, and researcher. During this time, he provided anesthesia care at stateside and overseas hospitals and aboard naval combat vessels, taught and performed clinical research in the Navy Nurse Corps Anesthesia Program, and was the Director of Biomedical Sciences Division at the Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory.

Following his retirement from the U.S. Navy, Dr. Vacchiano became Director of the Gooding Institute, Bay Medical Center Nurse Anesthesia Program. He has published in multiple journals (including American Journal of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research, Shock, and the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Journal, and serves as a reviewer for several agencies and journals. He has been elected President of the Board of Directors for the National Board for Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA), and is a member of the NBCRNA task force developing recommendations for new CRNA recertification requirements. Dr. Vacchiano is the author of a chapter on regional anesthesia in the only anesthesia textbook written by nurse anesthetists. He was named the American Association of Nurse Anesthetist Researcher of the Year in 2007.

Dr. Vacchiano's research has been funded by several government and private agencies. His research interests include extremes of oxygen exposure in cell, animal and human models, and clinical studies in anesthesia and critical care.

Academic Program Affiliations

Master of Science in Nursing Program

Doctor of Nursing Practice Program

PhD in Nursing Program

Education

PhD - Medical University of South Carolina

BS Anesthesia - George Washington University

BSN - Wright State University

Research Interests

Dr. Vacchiano's research interests include hypoxia, hyperoxia, pulmonary physiology, diving and aviation physiology, clinical anesthesia practice, and critical care. He holds a U.S. patent for a reduced-oxygen breathing device. In 2007, he received an Excellence in Technology Transfer Award from the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer for a compact, portable reduced oxygen breathing device that he developed for for aviation hypoxia training.

In his current research, Dr. Vacchiano is investigating the effects of changes in blood pressure on measures of cerebral blood flow velocity and cerebral oxygenation in patients undergoing sitting shoulder surgery, in order to determine whether these measures may be useful surrogates for estimating the effects of altered systemic blood pressure on cerebral blood flow during surgery.

Project Goal: The primary objective of this study is to examine the effects of blood pressure changes on cerebral blood flow velocity and cerebral oxygenation in patients undergoing sitting shoulder surgery to determine if these measures may be useful surrogates for estimating the effects of changes in systemic blood pressure on cerebral blood flow.

Nurse Anesthesia Program Rural CRNA Initiative

Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA)

1D09-HP14644-01-00

07/2009 to 06/2012

Role: Project Director

Project Goal: The purpose of this project is to increase the number of Masters prepared Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNAs) practicing in rural, medically underserved areas of North Carolina by developing and implementing a distance learning component to our existing Nurse Anesthesia Program and by partnering with our existing hospital based clinical sites in rural / medically underserved areas to identify, recruit and enroll qualified nurses in the distance learning option.

Resuscitation of Bupivacaine Induced Cardiac Collapse

Department of Defense, Tri-Service Nursing Research Program

07/2005 to 01/2007

Role: Co-PI / mentor for novice unfunded CRNAs

Assessment of Oxidative Stress in the Tactical Aviation and Aerospace Physiology Communities

Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

02/2005 to 09/2007

Role: PI

Project Goal: The primary goal of this study was to measure the production of a group of oxygen- based free radical generated isomeric prostaglandin compounds (Isofurans) in the blood, urine and exhaled breath condensate of a group of pilots and altitude chamber inside observers intermittently and repeatedly exposed to 100% oxygen.

Oxidative Stress and Pulmonary Injury in US Navy Divers

Department of Defense Tri-Service Nursing Research Program

TSNRP-NO4-P10

10/2004 to 09/2005

Role: PI

Project Goal: The primary goal of this study was to measure the production of a group of oxygen- based free radical generated isomeric prostaglandin compounds (Isofurans) in the blood, urine and exhaled breath condensate of a group of divers exposed to 100% oxygen at depth.

Aviation Vigilance Testing Under Simulated Hypoxia

Office of Naval Research

10/2001 to 09/2004

Role: Associate Investigator

Project Goal: The primary goal of this study was to examine the effects of simulated hypoxia at 10,000, 12,000 and 15,000 feet on cognitive functions associated with piloting an aircraft.

Comparison of the Effects of Fexofenidine, Cetirizine, and Placebo on Cognitive Performance in Naval Flight Personnel

Aventis Pharmaceuticals

NAMRL-31017 Aventis-4139

06/2001 to 05/2004

Role: PI

Project Goal: The primary goal of this study was evaluate the effects of two medications commonly used to treat seasonal allergic rhinitis with respect to their ability to compromise the response to an in-flight emergency. The secondary goal was to evaluate the use of sea-level generated hypoxia as a surrogate in-flight emergency to determine whether or not specific prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, herbal treatments and nutritional supplements can be used by personnel in an active flight status.

Pages

Charles "Chuck" Vacchiano was recently appointed as a non-pharmacist health care professional to the Board of Pharmacy Specialties. The Board of Pharmacy Specialties is responsible for granting recognition to appropriate pharmacy practice specialties and establishes standards for certification of pharmacists in eight different specialties.

Charles “Chuck” Vacchiano recently presented at two nurse anesthetist meetings. In early September, he presented and co-authored an oral and poster presentation entitled “Anesthesia Emergence Phenomenon in Military Patients: An Instrument Development Study” at the 2016 American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) Annual Congress in Washington, D.C.

Charles Vacchiano was recently invited to present two podium presentations entitled "Goal Directed Fluid Therapy: Fact, Fiction, Findings and the Future" and "Mild Traumatic Brain: A Potential Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" at the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists annual Congress in Washington, D.C.

His presentations discussed the benefits of a physiological end point based fluid replacement protocol for high risk patients undergoing major surgical procedures and examined the diagnosis, symptoms, duration, treatment and anesthetic implications of mild traumatic brain injury.

Charles "Chuck" Vacchiano was recently featured in a North Carolina Association of Nurse Anesthetists article entitled "Retired Nurse Anesthetist Charles Vacchiano Teaches Future CRNAs: His hope is for CRNAs to practice to the fullest extent of their training no matter where they reside." Click here to read the full article.

Chuck Vacchiano published a letter to the editor entitled "NBCRNA Response to Zambricki et al Guest Editorial" in the April issue of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Journal. The letter was in response to a guest editorial questioning the value of a new recertification program for nurse anesthetists' that includes a requirement for core educational modules, assessed continuing education and periodic reexamination to maintain the CRNA credential.

Chuck Vacchiano and Linda Davis co-authored a poster presentation with Army CRNA Dr. Madeline Chalenor entitled "Anesthesia Emergence Phenomenon in Military Patients: An Instrument Development Study." The poster is the result of a two-year study funded by the TriService Nursing Research Program to develop an instrument to identify and quantify a unique phenomenon that occurs during emergence from general anesthesia in combat veterans.

The poster placed second in the William Beaumont Army Medical Centers research competition in April.

The faculty of the Nurse Anesthesia Program (NAP) attended the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) Assembly of School Faculty Meeting in New Orleans, La., Feb. 25 - 28. This is an annual event attended by nurse anesthesia faculty from across the country. This year’s meeting attracted more than 400 faculty members. Dr. Sharon Hawks, who has chaired the AANA Education Committee for two years, and the members of the Education Committee planned and executed this meeting. Dr.